The combination of a dye with a mordant is called what?

• A. A lake
• B. A pigment
• C. A solution
• D. A mordant-dye complex

Answer: (A)

When a dye is precipitated with a mordant, you create a lake pigment. The mordant, typically a metal salt, binds to the dye and pulls it out of solution as insoluble particles. This makes a stable, non-dissolving pigment that can be dispersed as color without bleeding or running. That’s why the specific term for this combination is a lake. A general pigment is any colored substance, but the lake is the particular insoluble form formed by dye and mordant. A solution isn’t correct because the lake is insoluble, not dissolved. A mordant-dye complex isn’t the standard term for the final pigment, even though the mordant’s action is to bind the dye.